Grain-treating apparatus.



PATENTLD AUG. 14, 1906. H. J. CALDWELL & J. R. BARR.

GRAIN TREATAING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULYQ, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

M/WQSSGS/ No. 828,531. PATENTED AUG. 14, 1906. H. J. CALDWELL @a J. R. BARR.

GRAIN TREATING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATIGN FILED JULY 9, 1904.

Z SHEETS-SHEET 2.

lfm v IoI niinn arianna sarna on vHARRY J. CALDVYELL AND JAMES R. BARR, OF EARL PARK,'INDIANA.

GRAlNNTRETINC- APPAATUS..

Patented Aug. 14, 1908.

Application filed July 9, 1904. Serial No. 215.895.

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HARRY J. CALDWELL, 'and JAMES R. BARR, citizens of the United States, residing at Earl Park, in the county of Benton and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain-Treating Apparatus, of which the following isa specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in apparatuses for treating and arifying grain and involving the use of su furous-l or like fumes.

The object of" our invention is to provide an apparatus which shall be effective for this purpose, which shall interpose a positive firestop or water seal between the furnace and the treating-compartment, which shall provide means for cooling the treating fumes, and which shall in other ways be eflicient, simple, durable, and inexpensive for the treatment of grain. These and such other objects as may hereinafter appear are attained by our invention, which is illustrated in one convenient embodiment thereof in the apparatus shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1- is a side elevation, partially in section; and Fig. 2 is a plan view.

^ Like letters of reference indicate the same parts in the both of the drawings.

Referrin by letter to the accompanying drawin indicates a casl of a familiar form o grain-treating stack, into the top of which grain is conveyed in any convemen manner.

B rep! esents delecting-shel ves for scatteringv theV grain and retarding its passage through the stack A.

C is an outlet-s out for the escape of the grain. D is a sli e to controlthe passage through said outlet-spout. v E indicates a furnace of any suitable form for the combustion of sulfur.

' F isa pipe for conducting the sulfur fumes from the furnace E to a power-fan G.'

H H are mixing-valves for controlling the Y admission of air to the fumes-pi e F.

I isa conduit leading from t e eductionport of the fan G.

J is a tank'containing a fluid, preferably water, which may be su plied thereto in any convenient manner. lll the drawings we have shown the tank J as sup lied from the reservoir K through a i e the new of Water through the pipe 1nto the tank J being automatically controlled by a float-valve M. The pi e L is also provided with a handvalve m. he pipe l is provided with aslide i and discharges below the surface ofthe fluid in the tank J. x

N is a conduit leading from the tank J to the treating-stack A.

0 indicates aforce-pump 'arranged to pump fluid through the pipe o from the tank J and through-the pipe P into a nozzle Q, which discharges into the stack A.

R is a steam-pipe leading from any suitable source of steamsupply and terminating within the nozzle Q and preferably adjacent to the discharge end of the ipe P. The pi e R is provided with a han -valve r, and t e pipe P is provided with a hand-val ve p. A by- Bass leads from the pipe P into the tank M, the

ow of water through said by-pass being controlled by a pressure-valve p. of any familiar type, which is normally held closed by a spring. i

While the force-pump O is in constant operation at a uniform s eed the quantity of fluid conducted from t e tank M to the nozzle Q will be varied to suit different conditions -of the grain by .means of the hand-val ve p. lWhenever the pump arger volume of water than will pass through the valve in any given position, the fluidpressure within the pipe P will o en the bypass valve p', so that such surp us will be conducted back into the tank M.

S is an air-inlet pipe opening into the nozzle Q at one end and open to the atmosphere at its other end and provided with a shut-offv tank J are forced through the pipe N into the' stack A, where they are brought in contact with the grain to be treated, the grain assing or the continuousl throu h the stack A. purpose of -luting t e fumes and also'of cooling the same, if desired, atmospheric air may O is pumpinga roo be admitted into the pipe F in any-,desired roportion through the mixing-valves H H. he Water seal in the tank J, inc the furnace E and the stack'A, affords a positive fire-stop, so that all danger of fire to the stack A or to the grain Itherein is positively eliminated. if desired, the mixing-valves osed between IIO H H may be relied on for the desired cooling of the fumes, the fluid body Within the tank J remaining practically stationary, or the fumes without being so cooled may be passed through a stationary body of fluid in the tank J, progressively heating the fluid until the point isreached Where the fumes escaping from the tank J through the pipe N will be mixed with vapor arising from the surface of the fluid in the tank J, thus furnishing desirable and in some conditions of grain ample moisture to the interior of the stack A for the treatment of the grain. Furthermore, the sulfurous fumes as they pass through Water in the tank J Will combine with the hydrogen in the Water to form sulfurous acid, which is the required bleaching agent for the treatment of th'e grain, While the vapor arising from the surface of the Water 1n the tank J may suflice to sufliciently moisten the grain to render it susceptible to the bleaching action of the sulfurous fumes. However, by means of various valves shown we can inject live steam into the stack A through the pipe R and the nozzle Q, the valves p and T being closed, or by opening the valve T means will be provided for theinflow to the nozzle Q of qualitities of air, which'will serve to condense the steam more rapidly, so as to provide more free' moisture Within the stack A and neutralize the heat of the steam, or by operating the force-pump O We can draw from the tank J the fumes-impregnated fluid and pump it to the nozzle Q, in which event, ifdesired, only sufficient steam will be used to blow this stream of water through the nozzle Q into the stack A,^or the fluid can be sprayed onto the grain by the force-pump and no steam used. In this last operation of our apparatus there Will bea constant How of Water through the tank J, with the result that the Water in the tank J will be kept cool and will serve to cool the treating fumes as they pass therethrough.

l/Vhile We have referred to the tank J as a Water seal, it will be understood that this seal may be formed by any suitable fluid.

"it will thus be seen that we have devisedan apparatus which has a Wide range of operation and great flexibility, adapting it to readily meet the Widely-varying conditions under which musty, rusty, discolored, and other- Wise defective grains must be treated, some grains requiring more moisture than` others, some conditions calling for stronger fumes than others, &c.

lNhile We have shown our present invention in what we consider to be its preferred form, obviously many variations in the details of its Structure may be made Without de parting from the spirit of our invention.

We claiml. In a grain-treating apparatus, the oombination of a treating-compartment, a fumesgenerator, a fluid-container, a conduit leading from the fumes-generator into the luidseater container, a conduit leading from the iluidcontainer and conducting fumes-impregnated fluid therefrom, a nozzle at the end of said conduit, and a steam-jet adapted to discharge into the nozzle and to spray the luld into the treating-compartment.

2: In a grain-treating apparatus, the combination of a fumes-generator, a Water-container, a treating-stack, an automaticallygoverned water-supply for the water-container, means adapted to Withdraw fumes from the generator and to discharge the same into the Water-container, and means adapted to Withdraw fumes-'impregnated Water from the container and to discharge the same into the treating-stack.

3. In a grain-treating apparatus, the combination With a grain-treating compartment and means for generating treating fumes, of a conduit for conducting said fumes to said treating-compartment, a water seal interosed in said conduit, and additional means or conducting water from said water seal and forcing the same in a spray into said treating-compartment.

4. In a grain-treating apparatus, the combination with a treating-compartment in open communication with the air, of means fory encrating treating fumes, a conduit for con ucting said fumes to said treating-conipart1nent,a water seal interposed in said conduit, a nozzle discharging into the treatingcompartment, means for conducting Water from said water seal into said nozzle, and means for spraying said water through said nozzleinto said treating-compartment.

5., In a grain-treating apparatus, the combination with a grain-treating compartment, of means for generating the treating fumes, a conduit for conducting said fumes into said treating-com artment, a' Water seal interposed in sai' conduit, means for supplying moisture to the interior of said treating-cornpartment, said means comprising a nozzle discharging into said compartment, means for conductinr water from said water seal into said nozzle, and a steam-pipe discharging into said nozzle.

5. In a grain-treating apparatus, the combination with a treating-compartment, of means for generating treating fumes, a conduit for conducting said fumes into said treating-compartment, means for creatin a positive current of saidfumes througli sai conduit, a water seal interposed in said conduit, means for maintaihingthc Water at a desired level Within said conduit, and means for furnishing moisture to the interior of said treating-compartment, said means comprising a nozzle discharging into said compartment, a steam-jet discharging into said nozzle, and means for eonducting water from said Water seal to the anterior of said treatingcompartment.

7 In a grain-treating apparatus, the com- IOO IIC'

hination with a. grain-treating1 compartment and means for generating tri-atingr fumes, of

= water-pipe will be sprayed 1n said stack.

a conduit for eoiiduetiiu;` said fumes to said treating-compari nient. a water seal interosed in said conduit, and additional means or conducting; water and forcing saine in a l spray into said trealing-rempartnient.

8. In a grain-treatng r apparatus, the combination with a `graiii-treatin;y compartment. in open eoniniuniealoii with the air, and n'ieans for generating treatin;r fumes, of a conduit for conducting' said funies to said treating-comparinient, a Water seal int-e1'- and at an angle to the end of said Waterlpe, all s0 arranged that water flowing out o said 11. The combination of a source of treating fumes, a water seal, a water supply therefor, automatically-actuated means for maintaining a constant level in said Water seal, a conduit leading fronrthe source of fumes to the water seal, means in the path of i the conduit adapted to force the fumes into the Water seal, a`treating-clminber ada ted.t

to receive grain, and a conduit. leading rom the water seal and opening into the treatingposed in said conduit, and additional ii'ieaiis 1 foi' conductingr water from said water seal and lori-ing: the `saine iii a spray int-o said treating-compartnient.

chamber.

l12. The combination of a grain-treating stack, a fumes-generating furnace, a hodyof water adapted. to liecon'ie impregnated with t). ln a f fran-trealingl apparatus, the comconduct said water to the treating-stack, and

hination with a `eran-trea-tiner compartment in open coinninna-ation with the. air, ol'

means for generatingl the treating fumes, a

conduit for conducting said fumes into said treatiiig-eonipartnient, a water seal interposed in said conduit, means tor supplvnr;r i moisture. to the interior of said treating-conii i i i i l fiunes from said furnace, means adapted to a steam-jet adapted to spra)Y said water into the stack.

13. The combination of a grain-treating stack., a fluid-container, an automaticallyeontrolled water-supply therefor adapted to maintain a constant level therein. means iadapted to furnish inipregiiatingfumes to the water within said container, a pipe leading,r from said container and adapted to conduct water therefrom to the stack, a steamjet to sprar the water into the stack, and a fumesconduit leadin`r from said container and adapted to conduct fumes therefrom to said stack.

HARRY J. CALDVELL. JAMES R. BARR.

Witnesses:

S. B. HOUSER, JAMES BOLDMAN. 

